Improvement in ditchimg and tile-laying machines



Dtchi M. M; HOOTON.

ng andlTle Laying Machine.

PatentedFeb.6, 1872.

to show the interior.

MABSENA M. HOOTON, OF CENTRALIA, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN DITCHING AND TILE-LAYING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 123,479, dated February6, 1872 antedated January 22, 1872.

SPECIFICATION. To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, MARsENA M. HooroN, of Centralia, in the county ofMarion and State of Illinois, have invented certain Improve'- ments inDitching and Tile-Laying Machines, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

My invention consists in a novel combination and arrangement of devicesfor opening a ditch, laying tile therein, and covering the tile thuslaid, as hereinafter described.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my machine in operation, certainportions being broken away Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same on theline .r a'. Fig. 3 is a rear view of a portion of the tile-dropper; andFig. 4, a cross-section of the machine on the line y y of Fig.` 1. y

In constructing my machine I first provide a. beam, A, and support itsfront end on a wheel, a, and secure to its rear end two parallelvertical plates, B, sharpened at their front edges, and connectedtogether at their lower edges. Between the front edges of the plates B Isecure three or more knives, D, each a little in advance of the one nextbelow; and below these short knives I secure a lou g inclined knife, E,the forward end of which is of a V- form, and'lies in line with thelower edges of plates B, as shown in Figs. l and 2. To each side of thebeam A, forward of the plates B, I attach a plow, G; and to each plate BI secure the forward end of alonghorizontal bar or arm, F, as shown inFigs. l and et. When the beam A is drawn forward, the pla-tes B enterthe ground, and, in connection with the knives D and E, cut a ditch orfurrow, the earth being cut loose on the sides by plates B, and thensliced and broken up by the knives D and E, the latter serving to form aV-shaped bottom to the ditch. rIheroller a runs on the surface of theground and supports the beam, while the plows C open a wide, shallowfurrow, in which the arms F slide, for the double purpose of supportingand guiding the plates B, and

of preventing loose earth from falling into the ditch, as well as toprovide a smooth surface or way for the drive-wheels to run on. To thelower rear corners of the plates B I hinge the forward end of aframe,Gr, the rear end of which I support by two wheels, H, arranged to run inthe shallow plow-furrow after the arms F. In the frame G, on a series oftransverse rollers, e, I mount an endless apron, f, extending from therear end of knife E upward and backward between wheels H, as shown. Thebelt I operate by providing its rear roller with a pinion, fw, and oneof wheels H with a wheel, z, gearing therein, as shown in Fig. l, sothat as the wheels H turn forward the apron is turned backward. As themachine advances, the earth loosened by the platesB and knives passes upknife E onto the apron, by which it is carried up backward between thewheels and again discharged into the ditch, as shown. Thus it willbeseen that aditch is being opened ahead of the machine and closed againafter it, an open space remaining all the while under the frame G, asshown. To the under side of frame G I secure an upright tube or box, J,so as to travel in the open portion of the ditch. This tube I make oftheproper size to hold the tiles when lying on their sides above oneanother, as shown in Figs 1 and 4, and with its lower end near thebottom of the ditch, and its upper end curved out on one side to permitthe introduction of the tiles. To the lower end of the tube J I pivottwo parallel concave plates, z', and provide them each with a crank, j,at one end; and on the rear side of the tube I mount a vertical slidingrod, I, having in its lower end a slot, in which the cranks j play, asshown in-Figs. l and 3, so that by moving said rod the plates c' may beturned so as to bring their upper or their lower edges in contact. Therod I is raised by a spring, p, and depressed by a lever, k, which'isconnected to it by afl-link, the lever being operated by pins l on oneof the wheels H, which strike the lever in succession as the wheelrevolves. IVhen the rod I is up, the lower edges of the two plates I'.are in contact, and the bottom tile in the tube rests upon them, as inFig. 4; but when the rod is depressed, the lower edges of the plates aremoved apart and the tile permitted to drop into the furrow, the upperedges of the plates being at the same time closed together so as toprevent the tiles above from dropping down. When the rod is againraised, the plates are turned back to their iirst position, and an othertile allowed to drop down and rest between them, and so on continuously.By the abovedescribed arrangement of devices, it will be seen that eachtime a pin, l, presses the lever la a tile is dropped into the ditch.The bottom of the ditch being V-shaped, the tiles, when depositedtherein, roll down to the middle in line with each other; but, for thepurpose of shoving their ends up close together, I provide a slidingrod, s, mounted in a frame, K, attached to tube J, as shown in Fig. l.To this rod I connect a spring, u, which tends to slide the rodbackward. I also connect the rod by a cord, s, with one arm of anelbow-lever, q, pivoted to frame K, the other arm of said lever beingconnected by a rod, o, with a second elboW-1ever,m, which is pivoted tothe upper part of tube J, and connect-ed by a link, n, With rod I, asshown in Fig. l. WhenrodIis depressed,

Y the rod t is drawn forward and a tile dropped into the ditch behind it5 and when the rod I is raised by the spring p, the rod t is forced backby spring u against the tile so as to force the same up against the onenext behind. 0n top of the cutting-plates B I mount a box or tray, L, tocontain a supply of tiles, which are thus carried along with themachine. The tiles carried in this manner also serve as a Weight t'oforce the plates B down into the ground.

The various parts being constructed and arl ranged as described, it willbe seen that asthe machine is drawn forward a ditch is opened at thefront of the same, the tiles automatically laid in said ditch, and thenthe tilcscovered with earth. If desired, the pins l may be niadedetachable, so that they can be placed at any desired distance apart,and thus the lever k operated at longer or shorter intervals, accordingto the length of the tiles used.

The depth of the ditch formed by the machine is regulated by adjustingthe plows C and the roller a, as the latter supports directly the frontof the machine, while the former prepare the way or surface for thewheels and arms which support the rear end.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. In aditching-machine, the plates B and knives D and E, when constructed andarranged to operate as herein described.

2. In combination With the ditching and tilelaying machine, constructedsubstantially as described, the adjustable plows C G, when arranged tooperate as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with the knives D and E, the endless belt or apron j',when arranged to operate as described, for the purpose of receiving theearth as the ditch is cut, and filling said ditch as the machineadvances, as set forth.

4. The tube J, with thepivoted concave plates 'i z', in combination withrod z, spring 19, and lever 7c, when constructed and arranged to beoperated as described, for the purpose of laying the tile, as set forth.Y

5. The rod t, in connection with spring u, rod I, and the interveningmechanical devices described, for the purpose ot' driving the tile,

when laid, together, as set forth.

6. The arms or fenders F, when arranged on each side of the machine, asdescribed, for the purpose' of keeping the excavation clear.

MARSENA M. HOOTON.

Vitnesses:

WM. E. BoTTs, JOHN W. WRIGHT.

